Season 3 Premiere Guide

Hiding from Camila in Malta, Teresa tries to launch a drug empire of her own by striking a deal with a dangerous money launderer.

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La Ermitaña

S3 episode 1 Aired on June 21, 2018

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Warning: Recap contains spoilers

The Hermit

Teresa Mendoza is finally in Europe, away from Camila Vargas, who swore revenge for Epifanio Vargas’ death. She’s in France now, living the good life on a yacht. But peace doesn’t last in her life. A squad of law enforcers ambush Teresa. Fortunately, her loyal sicario Pote has a plan to escape without a scratch. They jump on a boat and head to Malta, where Teresa needs to meet Rocco de la Peña, an obscure banker who deals with cryptocurrency.

Meanwhile, Camila Vargas is back in Mexico, where she succeeded her late husband as governor of Sinaloa. The plan remains the same: in a prominent political position, Camila will pretend to fight against drug trafficking, while taking over Epifanio’s criminal business. The problem is that Epifanio sold his whole operation to Boaz Jimenez, and all distributors in Mexico are now on his side. However, Camila can still work as a partner. Her own capo, General Cortez, is delivering cocaine over the US border using drones, but the D.E.A. is aware of this otherwise clever method. Several agents shoot down the drones and thwart the delivery.

The cocaine was Boaz’s merchandise, and now Camila is in his debt. Furthermore, she’s heard Bolivian cocaine can be found everywhere in the US, which could only mean Teresa’s operation overseas is thriving. Meanwhile, Cortez’s informers report the Queen of the South has been seen in Valletta, Italy. It’s time to send some sicarios and finish Teresa for good.

The girl with the red beret

Teresa is walking on a street of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, when she realizes a mysterious woman in a red beret, following her. Teresa manages to lose her tail, but she’s not sure who that woman works for. Malta is getting dangerous, but she can’t leave the island without seeing De la Peña.

With the help of a middleman, Oleg Stavinski, Teresa finally meets Rocco de la Peña, an extravagant man who receives her in the back room of a nightclub. He’s surrounded by women in red berets. So, it was him… Teresa wants Rocco as a money launderer. If he helps her clean her money as cryptocurrency, he gets a cut. They agree on four percent, but he thinks that’s too little for the risk: for some reason, De la Peña says Teresa’s new delivery from Bolivia won’t arrive safely in Europe.

All in the family

In Sinaloa, Camila Vargas is throwing a party to celebrate her daughter Isabela's engagement with Kique Jimenez, Boaz’s son. Everybody’s happy, except for Boaz, who is angry about the cocaine seized by the D.E.A. How did that happen? Is there a snitch in Camila’s team? Camila promises to find and kill the rat.

However, her real priority is taking over the Jimenez cartel. To do so she needs Reynaldo Fieto’s approval first. Camila pays him a visit and shares her plans with him and his niece, Castel, a new-yet-strong face in Fieto’s organization. He does not approve of Camila’s plans, and neither does Castel.

Now Camila has to think of something else if she wants to be the Queen on this side of the Atlantic.

Sharing the cake

Teresa calls her distributor, King George, who is working and having fun in Somalia. She wants to make sure the shipment from Bolivia is safe. Of course it is, he says. All she needs to do, he adds, is to talk to a guy named Falcone, who works in the port of Valletta. He will help Teresa... if the money is right.

They meet Falcone in the port, but before they close any deal, a police car tears in with its lights flashing. Two officers get out of the car pointing guns at them. They don’t want to make any arrests, though -- they just want a slice of the cake.

Camila’s secret plans

Meanwhile, in Mexico, Isabela shows mom her wedding dress, and she has a very important thing to tell her: she wants Teresa Mendoza, her father’s killer, dead. Apparently, Isabela doesn’t loathe her mother’s business anymore, even if that means killing her future husband’s father.

Camila’s new move is bold and risky. She’s made a deal with agent Alonzo Loya, from the D.E.A. Loya has been suspended from duty, but Camila promises to help him be reinstated if he helps her taking down Boaz Jimenez. They have a deal.

But behind her back, Cortez reaches out to Boaz to do business… just the two of them -- ”no need to involve the Governor,” he says. Just like Isabela warned her, Cortez is betraying Camila Vargas.

The price you pay

Teresa is about to enter a bar when an old woman stops her. She doesn’t speak English but Teresa understands she wants her to pick a Tarot card. So she does. It’s “The Hermit,” a metaphor of loneliness. That’s the price you pay, she thinks, sitting at a table in the bar.

All of a sudden, a guy on a motorcycle stops by the door and throws a black package. It’s a bomb. Teresa jumps off her chair, dives for cover and escapes death, but the mysterious motorcycle man is looking for her to finish the job. Teresa hurries out but a car cuts her off. A voice from inside the car screams, “Teresa! Get in!” It’s none other than James! She can’t believe her eyes. She hesitates to get in the car of the man who betrayed her, but finally she does as bullets fly over her head. Together again, Teresa and James escape.